California Rep. Buck McKeon latest to retire

According to AP, veteran Southern California Rep. Buck McKeon, the Republican chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, is the latest member of the state delegation to announce his retirement from Congress.

Earlier Wednesday, veteran Virgina lawmaker James Moran, a Democrat, said he would retire.

McKeon’s retirement is no surprise. The 75-year-old lawmaker, representing a district just north of Los Angeles, is expected to make a formal announcement Thursday.

Prospects for a Democratic takeover of the House this year have dimmed to a near vanishing point, prompting speculation that the decision by Miller, a key ally of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, may indicate that Pelosi herself could call it quits. The San Francisco Democrat has indicated no such thing.